The use of an underwire as part of a brassiere frame has become common. The underwire, of metal, plastic-coated metal or plastic generally is received in a tubular pocket below each cup and lies along the sternum of the wearer substantially at the junction of the breast with the chest wall. Each cup is provided with such an underwire that maintains the configuration of the cup and contributes the support of the breast.
In the past, problems have been encountered with such underwires. For example some underwire designs tended to poke through the fabric or to shift in the fabric pocket that was provided. In addition, the pull on the underwire when the brassiere is fastened, because of the tension applied around the back of the wearer, tended to spread the underwire that generally had a U- or C-shape.
Frequently the stiffness of the underwire rendered the brassiere uncomfortable and often the lack of ability of the underwire to deform out of its plane caused discomfort as well. When efforts were made in the past to make the underwire more flexible, it tended to lose its stabilizing function.
Furthermore, techniques for inserting the underwire, anchoring the underwire or generally assembling an underwire to the cup and other structures of the brassiere made fabrication complex and expensive. In particular, the tension on the underwire when the brassiere was tightened around the back of the wearer could not be counteracted in the past except by making the wiring so stiff that its breast-shaping and supporting function was defeated.
An effort to overcome at least some of these disadvantages is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,365 that describes a brassiere that ultimately was found to be impractical because of the stiffness of the armature embedded in the softer surround.
In our above-cited copending application we describe a an underwire assembly adapted to be incorporated into a brassiere and comprising:
a generally flat U-shaped hard underwire adapted to be positioned in a brassiere below a cup thereof and along the chest of a wearer, the underwire being formed with two parallel arcuate portions joined at respective ends and separated by an arcuate slot between the ends; and
a soft plastic body in which the hard underwire is partially embedded, ensheathing the hard underwire along a bottom of the body and having an apron along a concave side of the body lying at an angle to a plane of the hard underwire so that the body and the underwire form a pocket receiving a breast of the wearer in the cup.
Such an underwire assembly has proven extremely popular. The comfort of the brassiere is, however, greatly affected by the underwire that, under any circumstances, is the most rigid part of the brassiere.